Uruguay and China Strengthen Digital Cooperation with a Single Window Agreement for International Trade

The President of the Republic, Yamandú Orsi, received the Deputy Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China, Ding Xuexiang, at the Suárez residence as part of a high-level meeting that further strengthened bilateral cooperation. On this occasion, the Framework Agreement on Cooperation on the Single Window for International Trade was signed—an instrument that marks a new step forward in the agenda of technological and commercial integration between the two nations.

The document was signed by the National Director of Customs, Joaquín Serra, and the Executive Director of Uruguay XXI, Mariana Ferreira, representing Uruguay, and by the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Huang Yazhong, representing the General Administration of Customs of China. Since 2024, Daniela Vignolo, Executive Coordinator of the Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE), and her team have led the technical coordination that made this agreement possible, within the framework of joint efforts among national institutions dedicated to trade facilitation.

This agreement establishes a formal mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the Single Windows of both countries, aimed at facilitating international trade through digital integration and system interoperability, thereby enhancing the efficiency and transparency of cross-border processes.

The initiative will promote technological integration between Uruguay’s Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE) and its Chinese counterpart, enabling a fast, accurate, and secure exchange of information between both systems. It seeks to eliminate redundant documentation, standardize procedures, and improve the traceability of trade operations, in line with international trade facilitation standards.

Key areas of cooperation include sharing experiences in the development of Single Windows, implementing pilot interconnection projects, and promoting cross-border electronic data exchange.

The agreement also provides for the creation of a Joint Working Group on Single Window Cooperation, composed of authorities and technical experts from both nations, which will be responsible for defining activities, projects, and timelines for implementing the agreed commitments.

Another Step Forward in the Strategic Partnership Between Uruguay and China

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin highlighted the significance of the agreement and its contribution to modernizing bilateral trade processes. He recalled that Uruguay and China maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest category of diplomatic relations that China holds with a Latin American or Caribbean nation, and emphasized Uruguay’s participation in the Silk Road initiative.

The Single Window agreement is part of a 37-year relationship of diplomatic cooperation and a steadily expanding trade partnership: in 2024, trade with China increased by 29% compared to the previous year, and in 2025—through August—the increase reached 14%.

Next Steps and Expanded Cooperation

Lubetkin reported that Deputy Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang expressed his government’s interest in welcoming President Orsi to China before March 2026, accompanied by a delegation of Uruguayan business representatives. The visit will help deepen cooperation in trade, innovation, science, and technology, and advance new long-term agreements.

Chinese authorities also expressed their readiness to strengthen ties with the region ahead of Uruguay’s upcoming presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), as well as within Mercosur, which Uruguay will chair in the second half of 2026.

The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary of the Presidency, Alejandro Sánchez, the Interim Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Matías Carámbula, and the Executive Director of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation, Martín Clavijo.

On the Chinese side, participants included the Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, Wang Zhijun, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying.

Lubetkin noted that both sides agreed on the importance of continuing to advance cooperation in new areas, including environmental protection and sports, within the framework of an increasingly broad and diversified bilateral relationship.